Precise Moments
by Endearing-Soliloquy
Summary: It was a photo. Not just any photo, but rather the one that seemingly covered the front page, making the girl's reaction to this all the more horrible. Yes, it was a rushed and rather blurry shot, yet it was no mistaking it; it was nothing short of a picture of the two of them- Brendan and Serena. (NewRedShipping (Brendan x Serena))


"...Brendan...?" An obviously feminine voice called out, her otherwise emotionless tone tainted with the slightest bit of worry and urgency, obviously wanting to catch the boy's attention despite the different rooms in which they were both in. Only but an open door away from being in the same room- from the main to the small kitchen where he was-, the honey blonde girl tried to sedate the shaking in her hands that clutched onto the magazine so tightly; her face a whiter shade of pale as she sat down on the rather cheaply-made couch in which the room had to offer.

"Hm?" Came his simple little response, his hum light and laced with that sweet tone in which he would normally use when addressing the girl, almost sounding trouble-free. The way in which he spoke to her, and only herself, was a tone in which the girl found rather melodic; one that could, sometimes, lull her to a state of relaxation- something to show that everything was going to be fine. Much like the owner of said voice, it gave off a laidback kind of feeling, matching the black-haired boy's personality so well it was almost scary- like it was rehearsed. How he could remain so calm, so gentle despite the hardships she knew he had face, why it was mystery that Serena found herself never finding the answer to; always receiving that same soft and slightly amorous smile alongside a peck on the forehead followed by the slowly-spoken words of 'it's just who I am' from the Hoenn Champion before they went back off to what they were doing prior to that. "What's the matter, Serena? You're not hot again, are you? The fan's still in the bedroom- next to your bed-, in case you are asking-"

"No, Brendan- I...you might want to come here for a second..."

At those words, the black-haired boy allowed for the slightest hints of a frown to tug at his usually calm expression, his brow furrowing down ever so slightly as he placed the plate back down onto the bench. Her tone of voice, he noticed, it was one that he was not all that accustomed to; it was much like her usual tone in some aspects, yet it was able to give a kind of...anxious air, which only further confused him. Was something wrong? Or was she just trying to reassure herself that he was still very much well here?  
>Either way, Brendan found himself unconsciously breaking out in a slightly hurried set of strides out through the pathetic excuse for a kitchen and into the main room of the place in which they had rented out, his eyes immediately searching for the honey blonde. Of course, he could not help but wonder what had made her react in such a way as to so quickly call out to him, to say that she was in need- or want- of his input or perhaps just even kindly-spoken words, since he knew that she was one that, well, honestly needed such things as those few sentences in lieu of the urges that most other people their age gave into- ones that led to all the wrong things. Of course, whilst he would hope that, perhaps, she might fall back to that one day- not now, for they were too young and too early into the relationship-, yet Brendan did not mind her just wanting those sweet words of reassurance from himself. In fact, doing such things was more than enough for him; knowing that she was a little more up in her spirits simply because of poorly put together words said with a gentle tone he used, why, it made him feel, funnily enough, all that little more content with himself, that he was able to do such things for this girl.<p>

Back onto topic, the green-eyed boy eventually found his gaze set upon the girl who sat on the sofa, his frown lifting as his steps slowed right down in order to successfully take him over to her without either tripping over on the uneven flooring or perhaps even scaring the former champion herself. Once there, he allowed for himself to clear his throat gently, alerting the girl of his presence before he even dared to think of speaking up.

"Serena," He mumbled, causing for the young lady in question to jump in her spot ever so slightly- seeing as though said piece of furniture faced away from his figure. Despite that initial reaction, however, the boy still allowed for himself to crack but a small smile, placing his hands down on both of the girl's shoulders, giving them a gentle kind of squeeze in an attempt to calm the pale beauty down.

"What's wrong? Is everything alright?" Came his obvious questioning, slender fingers curling over her shoulders carefully as his thumbs started to caress the curve between her neck and shoulder in an enticingly slow manner, occasionally rubbing them in a circular motion for a few brief seconds; an action in which he had learnt was something the honey blonde enjoyed, that she fancied so. No, he was not after anything like _that_, but rather just wanted to coax this girl he was so fond of down to state of relaxation, for she seemed to be rather upset over something, as judged by her tone of voice and choice of words from before. "Why did you call me over?"

A shaky sigh escaped from the lips of Serena upon hearing his words and feeling his touch, her eyes taking but a few brief moments to close as she accidentally let herself become engrossed in his actions. Yes, perhaps she fell prey to it too easily, yet the former champion did not really care all that much; it was a touch that she knew would not hurt her in any kind of way, so she was to absorb it as best she could- enjoy it whilst it lasted. For but a few seconds longer did she allow for herself to retreat in such a way before a light red colouring dusted over her cheeks and snapped her out of the daze he had caused her so, her eyes coming to an open as she tilted her head up to look at the boy with blank expression plagued by a worried gleam from her eyes. Wordlessly did she lean up to place but a small kiss on the tip black-haired trainer's nose- for it was the only thing in which she could reach without straining herself- before lifting the magazine in her hands ever so slightly, urging for him to look down.  
>And, needless to say, Brendan did the latter without another moment's hesitation, his gentle stroking and squeezing coming to a halt as his gaze fell upon the glossy page- the cover of such a popular gossip publication.<br>What was it that had distressed her so? Upon taking a few seconds for it to register, the boy's eyes widened in partial shock as it slowly became clear.

It was a photo. Not just any photo, but rather the one that seemingly covered the front page, making the girl's reaction to this all the more horrible. Yes, it was a rushed and rather blurry shot, yet it was no mistaking it; it was nothing short of a picture of the two of them- Brendan and Serena- standing in the middle of the ocean, both dressed in casual swimwear according to their gender- his a simple pair of board shorts, hers but a plain and melon red one-piece-; the boy carrying her in his arms, dipping her in the water as though he were about to playfully let her go. A shocked yet happy expression was painted on the girl's features in such an image, her eyes tightly shut as though she were laughing but gasping at the moment in which this was taken; a cheeky grin plastered onto the boy's face as though he enjoyed the fact that he had taken her by surprise. How on earth they had managed to take this picture without either of them realising was beyond both the former and current Champions, yet it was there; the headline 'Mosdeep's Clear Waters Reveal Unlikely Couple! The Hoenn Champion's Secret Relationship With The Kalosian Hero Discovered On Accident?' spilled along the middle of the page in capitals and on a slant, coloured an obnoxious pink that only screamed that of a design of a gossip magazine- one that only a female teenager or middle-aged women would dare to read and believe.

"How...?" The boy managed to let out, not horrified, but rather shocked that someone had managed to take a picture of the two at such a precise moment, his voice sinking down into a whisper as to try and not further distress the girl that sat on the sofa before him. A shake of her head, biting down onto her lip in nothing short of partial fear that she might have, once again, lost her privacy, Serena simply kept her gaze plastered onto the cover; not allowing for it to move as she contemplated over what was to happen next.  
>"I don't know," She mumbled simply, her tone laced with the overly-clear amount of stress that this simple thing had put her under. "I just...I don't understand how they could have gotten it. You didn't tell anyone where we were, right? I don't understand how they found out our location."<p>

At this, a small and slightly troubled sigh shivered through the boy's lips, his hands habitually rubbing his face over as he tried to get a grasp of the situation at hand; to bring himself down from that seemingly laidback and carefree boy and into a more serious set of mannerisms in order to try and relieve not just himself of this stress and worry, but also the honey blonde that had pointed such a thing out to him. He knew that she was sensitive to this kind of thing, he knew just how badly she took publicity despite how she would act in front of a camera or when having a microphone shoved in her face in order for her to speak. He would have to handle this with the upmost care if he wanted to keep the girl's hopes alive; to return her back to the state he knew and loved in lieu of the one that he could already tell that she was slowly descending into.  
>A few moments passed by so painfully before Brendan allowed for his hands to fall from his face and fall upon the sofa, his breathing slow but heavy from the impact of such a situation and, for once, being at a complete loss in regards of what to do. You see, his little adventures had gone almost unnoticed by the press, something he was grateful for, so he knew not how to deal with a situation that had gotten so much attention. Feeling the need for guidance himself, yet wanting to comfort the former champion who sat on the couch which face away from him, the black-haired trainer leant over the back of the furniture ever so slightly; his arms draping over the girl's shoulders delicately; hands unconsciously prying one of her own off of the magazine, holding it in a gentle grasp before resting his and hers on the blonde's stomach in a limp fashion. With his head nuzzling its way atop of hers, he allowed for another sigh to pass through his system.<p>

"I don't get it either," He started, watching as the girl shifted ever so slightly under the gestures, a smile so desperately wanting to show on the male's visage as she proceeded to lace her fingers with his. It was obvious that she realised his intentions, and perhaps even understood that he was searching for reassurance as well; her hand giving his two a small squeeze. "If I had the answer to this problem, Serena, you know I would let you hear it straight away. But I promise you that I didn't tell a soul; the only people that should have known was you and me. I guess maybe it was just some nosy person who had seen us- nothing big to worry about...So don't freak out. Besides, you have me here just in case...and I have you."

The faintest of smiles darted across the features of the blonde girl at the boy's attempt of reassuring her that everything was to be alright, her lips curling up ever so slightly only for such a little change of expression to disappear as quickly as it had shivered onto her lips; the distress too overpowering to even think of allowing for herself to keep such a thing as a smile on her visage, for it would be nothing but a lie- a smile, it was a gesture she used to signify when she was truly happy and content with something, not one that she tossed around so freely like many others did.  
>Despite seeing this, however, Brendan forced himself to keep up the calm look in which he had almost always plastered onto his features, and a light chuckle muffled against his lips as he nuzzled his head down and placed but a small and careful kiss onto the top of her head.<p>

"Now, call it cliché, or cheesy, or whatever you want, 'Se-ree-na'-" A stupid nickname in which the boy used when he wanted to break tension or to evoke so much as a muffled chuckle from the girl; a pet name derived from the way in which she had taught him to pronounce her name, for he had continuously called her 'Sirrina' for weeks on end, believing that he had the sounds right when really he had not. "-but you and I both know that it's true. Really, I don't see the fuss in all of this- yeah, it's a little disturbing and frightening, but does it really matter? The picture's been taken, people have seen it and have made their own little opinions on us. You shouldn't be fearful of what others think or say...you of all people should know that, Serena."  
>"Yes, but-"<br>"So you agree with me then?"  
>"..." The honey blonde fell into a silence at the boy's questioning, her features contorting back down into that frown she wore so well as though it had been rehearsed but a thousand times. Yes, the boy did have a point in his words, a sliver of nothing but the truth, yet she could not help but find that one little side of her that wanted to protest- to say that she did not agree with him, for the opinions of others did matter a great deal to her despite how the honey blonde might have come off as in front of people she knew not.<br>Ah, but Brendan knew her well, well enough to know that exact little thing and, so, gave the girl's hand a gentle kind of squeeze in a manner that reflected such a thing, keeping that expression of his the way it was as he attempted to further comfort her or to, perhaps, shift the conversation away from this- the horribly taken picture that plagued the cover a lowly gossip magazine.

"Hm, I do have to say, though-" He decided to quickly add on, his voice still wrapped so carefully in a tone that Serena could only describe as euphonious and the soft gleam in his eyes still so very apparent at that moment in time; a plan coming to his mind in order to try and lift the honey blonde's mood- for seeing her so troubled by a mere article and photo, why, it worried him. In a swift motion, the boy leaned down all that little bit more to rest his chin on her shoulder and pressed his lips against the girl's cheek, allowing for such a gesture to linger for but a few seconds before he placed a few more, but much quicker, osculates down towards her jawline. "-even for a rushed and blurry shot, you're still as beautiful as ever to me."


End file.
